CHAPTER TEN
        
        
Whatever Kristina's oils and potions and bath infusions were supposed to do for her aura, Alexis had no idea. But the truth of the matter was, she felt marvelously alive. Enough so that she even submitted even further to Kristina's ministrations and let her do her hair and eyes. Upstairs, looking in the mirror, she had to admit that the results were spectacular. She hardly recognized her reflection in the mirror. Suddenly she was all eyes and cheekbones and something indefinable had put a glow on her face…

She swept down the stairs, enjoying the feel of the cool, clinging, sensuous fabric against her skin. The phone rang and she walked over to the desk to answer it. The conversation was brief; the car Jax had sent for them was downstairs. "The car will be here in five minutes…and just for information purposes, Kristina, if you're the one that was rushing me, then why am I down here waiting for you?" Alexis laughed as her sister's sassy retort floated down the stairs to her.

Alexis' smile faded somewhat as her eyes fell on the manila folder sitting on the desk. The papers for Sonny. She glanced at her watch. She had promised that it would be messengered out before ten. It was 9:45, so technically, she had time to get Sonny's signature and have a messenger there within the quarter hour.  Well, let's get it over with. She thought. She made a quick call to her service, instructing them to be there ASAP. She could leave the package downstairs at the door. Sonny's men were more than efficient in seeing that anything that affected him was taken care of diligently. Replacing the receiver, Alexis sighed and squared her shoulders as she turned towards the door. Business first.

         ***

         "Hi, Johnny." Alexis said as she stepped into the hallway. "Sonny's expecting me."
         "No. He's not." Usually the perfect bodyguard who saw nothing and everything all at once without giving any of it away, Johnny was definitely in a sharing mood tonight. His gaze reflected nothing but approval. "No, Miss Davis, Mr. Corinthos is definitely not expecting this you at all."

A compliment.
         Johnny had just given her a compliment. A grade A plus stamp of approval, no less. A soft laugh escaped her and on a sudden whim, Alexis pirouetted lightly. Johnny's eyes gave away his appreciation, even though he said nothing more. Noting the folder in her hand, he anticipated her intentions, and knocked lightly on Sonny's door. Hearing a muffled response, Johnny opened the door and poked his head in as Alexis drew near.
"Ms. Davis to see you." he announced. 

As Alexis passed by him, she thought he might have said something, but she wasn't sure…did he say "knock 'em dead?"
         She didn't have much time to dwell on it though, Sonny was across the room, in front of the fireplace, gazing into the flames. He turned and all the cool collected words that she had had prepared flew straightaway out of her head. He wasn't dressed for the evening yet, but still had on his grey silk robe and a matching bottoms. He must have just stepped from the shower. His hair was still curling slightly from the damp and his skin seemed to still hold a sheen to it.  Alexis could see the smooth muscular curve of his chest where it gapped. Her eyes were drawn to that enticing expanse of smoothly muscled olive skin. With an effort, she forced her gaze away and up to his face before he could notice.

Sonny turned around at the sound of the door closing, just as the first faint scent of gardenias filled his senses. His eyes caught Alexis and he paused, taken by surprise. This Alexis he hadn't seen before. Her body was encased in a dark ruby red sheathe of a dress, subtly sparkling where the lights caught at it, lightly outlining the lean but sensuous curves of her body even as it flared outward from her hips. Her hair was pinned up in back, exposing the long slender expanse of her throat leaving wispy strands to frame her face. Dangling shoulder-dusting ruby drops completed the effect. But he hardly noticed that as his eyes dropped unwillingly to her half-bared shoulders. There the dress clung to her upper arms and led to a softly plunging neckline. He'd never seen Alexis looking so…what was the word he was looking for? So regal. Sonny was reminded of her semi-royal blood like he'd never been before.
        
         That thought caught him by surprise, like a shock of cold water. What had he been thinking? He was a street rat, a criminal in a silk suit, but a criminal either way. It was enough that Alexis was his friend. Maybe he shouldn't hope for more… his age old war waged within him.
You think you good enough for a woman like this? Deke's voice sneered in his head. Look at her…and look at you… You're worthless, you're nothing. You never were and you never will be…He didn't realize that he'd gone silent and his eyes gone dark.   "You look very nice, Alexis." Sonny said softly, the words sounding lame even as they came out of his mouth. "Beautiful."

         Alexis couldn't read Sonny's expression. It looked like it was somewhere else… his eyes…they were distant, as though he really wasn't seeing her at all.  It didn't take long to figure out why. Just the thought of seeing Carly in a few hours has got him. She thought. I'm back to being his lawyer. And his friend. Inwardly she sighed. What a foolish notion she'd had for just a moment. A foolish little fantasy, that's all it had ever been…  "Thank you, Sonny." Her voice was as cool and collected as ever. "All I need is your signature on these contracts and they can be on their way." She crossed the room to his desk and withdrew the papers from the envelope. "I've taken the liberty of sending for a messenger and they should be here momentarily. So if you can do this, we can both be on our way."

         Sonny came to stand beside her as he reached for a pen. Thoughtlessly he scribbled his name and initialed in the places she pointed out to him. Dismally aware of the perfume rising up from her skin, his heart ached. It was different and yet a perfect blend for her. Floral, but with a hint of spice and sweet and heavy sensuality underneath. But he dared not do as his senses were telling him, pull her into his arms and bury himself in it. He'd only end up hurting her. His touch was destruction itself. Maybe it's better this way…"  He dotted the final "i" and crossed the last  "t". "There you go, Alexis."
 
         Both of them reached for the papers at the same time, intending to put them back in their envelope. Their hands met, but neither one of them would show the electric reaction that the one's touch evoked in the other. In spite of their individual resolutions, their fingers lingered a moment longer than necessary before they fell away. In the wake of that supposedly simple touch, they were both at a loss for words.

         Alexis resisted the urge to bite at her lower lip. "Well, everything is taken care of then." She said briskly.  You will stay in control. You WILL stay in control.  It was a mantra in her mind. "I'll take care of everything from here. You have a lovely evening, Sonny." She turned away before he could see the hurt in her eyes.

         Before he could say anything more, she was turning away from him and walking to the door.  Let her go… his head said. He willed his hands to stay at his sides, before he reached out and stopped her.

         Alexis stepped into the hallway, just as Kristina emerged from their door.

         "The driver just called; he's downstairs…" Kristina said. As they stepped onto the elevator, she gave her older sister a long look, but wisely said nothing. The elevator doors slid silently shut. Alexis gazed at her blurred reflection in the doors. She was going to go to the club and have a good time.

         Even if it killed her.